Telephone equipment



Oct. 8, 1935.

M. J. ARNDT TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 17, 1932 O 000 O O O O 0 6 3G 4, I88E Fla. 1

FIG. 2

INVENTOR MELVIN J.ARNDT ATTORNEY 3 Sheets-Sheet l 061:. 8, 1935. J ARNDT 2,016,475

TELEPHONE EQUI PMENT INVENTOR MELvlN \J. ARNDT BY A).

ATTORNEY Oct. 8, 1935. ARNDT 2,016,475

TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT QINVENTOR I MELVIN J. ARNDT ATTORN Y Patented Oct. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT New York Application August 1'7, 1932, Serial No. 629,167

5 Claims.

This invention relates to telephone equipment and more particularly to telephone switchboards.

7 In the past it has been proposed as shown in 5* the patent to Lowry #1,231,629, granted July 3, 1917, to make the telephone equipment of a switchboard section such as the relay supports, cord circuits and key shelf equipment, easily removable with respect to the multiple jack and cabling portion of the switchboard. It has also been the practice-to construct switchboard sections of structural steel strips, and to make the relay racks such as are installed in the terminal room of a telephone exchange of knock-down steel strips which are assembled at the exchange when it is being installed.

The present invention has for its purpose, a knock-down type of construction for switchboard sections which reduces the cost of manufacture, facilitates shipment and reduces the labor of installing a switchboard section or sections in a telephone exchange.

For a clearer understanding of the invention, reference is made to the drawings in which Fig. l is a front view of a switchboard section with portions thereof omitted for clearness in disclosure; Fig. 2 is an end View of a section with the wooden end panel and the equipment thereof removed; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed view of a portion of Fig. 1 indicating the mounting of the key shelf; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed view of Fig. 2 indicating the arrangement whereby the tops or roofs of several switchboard sections may 7 be levelled and brought into desired alinement; Fig. 5 is a front view of the framework of two switchboard sections with the parts of the framework thereof in position ready to be assembled; Fig. 6 isan end view of the iron work of a switchboard sectionwith the parts thereof in approximate position ready for assembling; Fig. 7 is a top View, and Fig. 8 a side view of a key shelf and a related relay gate with a cable electrically connecting the relays to the related equipment, such as supervisory lamps and keys normally mounted on the key shelf. a

The switchboard section illustrated in Fig. 1 includes a key shelf 5 on which there is mounted welleknown operating equipment (not shown) 5 and aportion of the multiple jack field 6 which is mounted on a skeleton framework of iron or steel, fabricated by the manufacturer so that it may be packed compactly for shipment to the customer, and so that it may be readily assembled 555: by an installer during the course of installing or erecting the section or sections in the customer's telephone exchange.

As best shown in Fig. 6, the skeleton framework at each end of the section, comprises two parts, such as an end frame 1 and an end frame upright 5' 8. The end frame l is made of spaced uprights 9, lil and l I formed of cold drawn bar steel of rectangular cross section of uniform dimensions and uniform straightness. These uprights are fastened to horizontal bars [2 and I3 of the same 10 material as the uprights with the widest cross sectional dimensions of the several bars extending in a direction at right angles to the general plane of the end frame. These several bars of the end frame are fastened together at the factory in 15" any suitable manner, such as by spot welding, but it is preferred to employ brackets M which are riveted respectively to the uprights and to the horizontal bars. The upright bar H is provided with an extension I5 which serves to sup- 20 port one end of a relay gate to be referred to, while the horizontal bar [3 is provided with an extension l6 which serves as a support for the key shelf 5 also to be further described. In order to give rigidity to the end frame, a V-shaped or 25. two-way brace I1 is attached at I8 to the upright 9 and the free ends thereof are riveted to the upright it, while brace 19 has its ends attached to horizontal bar l3 and to extension l5. It has been found that, in absence of the brace ll, the 30' end frame can be vibrated even in the direction of its principal plane, probably due to its con-- struction of flat bars. With the addition of this brace the erected skeleton framework of the section is rigid even though expensive metal gussets 3 are not used.

The end frame upright 8 is generally T-shaped and is formed of a horizontal T-iron bar I!) having its intermediate portion adjustably mounted on an upright 2| of bar steel. The specific mounting of the T-iron 19 on the bar 2! as best shown in Fig. 4, includes a strip 41 riveted or otherwise fastened to the upper end of the bar 2!. The strip 41 has tapped or threaded open- I ings therein in alinement with enlarged openings in the vertical flange of the T-iron l9, and cap screws 41a passing through the openings in the T-iron l9 engage tapped openings in the strip 41. It will be understood that the openings in the T-iron it are of sufficient size to permit the T-iron ill to be adjusted relative to the upright 2! in all directions in the principal plane of the end frame upright for levelling and alining the tops or roofs of several adjoining sections as will be further described, after which the parts are 551? clamped in the adjusted position. This adjustment also permits the jack stile assembly and the back of the section to be plumbed. In addition to the end frames and the end frame uprights, the skeleton framework includes the cross bars 39, 52, 52, 53 and H, as well as the jack stile assemblies or frames generally designated 22, which include the uprights 23, the verical stiles 24, cross bars 42, 2S and 53. It will be noted in Figs. 1 and 5, that the jack stile frame for use in an individual section is provided with two end uprights 23, whereas, the jack stile frame of a second section to be used with an individual section has a single end upright 23, since in the latter case one end upright may be used in common for two jack frame assemblies. While various practices may be followed in fabricating the skeleton framework at the factory, it is preferred to assemble at the factory, the end frames 7, the end frame uprights 8, each as individual units which may be shipped with the several cross bars, as well as the jack frame assembly parts in knocked-down form to the customer in whose exchange the several units may be erected and bolted together to constitute a skeleton framework of a switchboard section or sections.

In addition to the framework there are provided various pieces of wood and wooden panels dressed according to the desired finish of the board, which parts are also packed separately for assembling on the skeleton framework, during the installation of the section or sections. In addition to the various parts just described, there is assembled at the factory, operators position equipment units, these units include key shelf 5 connected by hinge 28 to a two-level plug shelf 29 on which there are mounted key strips 30 of which only two have been shown in Fig. 7, although it will be understood that a key strip is provided for each operators cord circuit pro vided at the section. The key shelf is also provided with supervisory lamps 3! associated with openings 32 in the two level plug shelf to receive the plug ends of various cord circuits (not shown). It will be noted from Fig. 7 that each key strip 33 is placed in alinement with its related supervisory lamps 3i, and the openings 32 for the cords of its associated cord circuit in accordance with the usual practice. The plug shelf 29 as well as the cord rack 33 are secured to the bars 3 1. The unit also includes a terminal board 35 on which there is mounted the usual terminal equipment, also the unit includes a relay gate 36 on which there are mounted the relays 37 and related equipment for the several cord circuits. A

cable form generally designated 38 has a portion 99 where its conductors are fanned out for connection-to the terminals of the relays 31 and similar equipment mounted on the relay gate. This form also has a branch 43, conductors of which are similarly fanned out for connection to the terminals on the terminal board 35, the form also is made with a loop 49 in accordance with the well-knownpractice which permits one end of the cable form to be fanned out for connection with terminals of the several key strips, and the lamp jack terminals all in the well-known practice.

In assembling the switchboard section, a pair of end frames 7 after being properly leveled and alined are fastened together by means of cross bars 39, iii, 52 and 53, which bars are bolted to the respective parts of the end frames. The end frame uprights 8 are then mounted in position on the end frames by having the lower ends of the uprights 2i bolted to the bars l3. The angle iron cross bars 32, and ii are attached to the respective ends of the horizontal T-bar I9 and the cross bar 43 is fastened at its ends to the horizontal bars i 3 of the end frame section. The jack frame 5 assemblies 22 may have their parts joined together as a unit or the respetive parts thereof may be joined to the cross bars 42 and 43 in any manner desired. Thereafter, the piling blocks 44 are mounted in place and the multiple jack strips of the multiple field 6 are placed in superimposed position or piled on the piling blocks. Multiple cables (not shown) but which are supported on the multiple cable shelf 65 carried by a bracket on the upright 2|, have eir respective conductors connected to the terminals of the multiple jacks in the several strips in accordance with the well-known practice. A cable or cables for the rural and toll lines (not shown) may then be drawn through the brackets 46 also in accordance with the usual practice.

At this time a position cord circuit unit of Figs. '7 and 8 may be mounted in each section by inserting it from the rear of the section to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 where cap screws such as 15 passing. through openings 54 (Fig. 8) in the bars 3 5 are screwed into tapped openings 55 in edges of the horizontal bars l3. The terminal board 35 may then be mounted on the uprights ii) and the relay gate 36 is swingingly supported on the pintles 53 and 51, supported at the rear of the section. The pairs of cords (not shown) of the respective cord circuits are supported from the cord rack 33 with the plug ends of these cords supported in the openings 32 of the plug shelf in accordance with the usual practice. The canvas apron l6 supported on the lugs 8i on the brace ll serves to confine the cord weights of the cords (not shown) to their normal position and. also serves to deaden the noise of these weights when they drop into position during the frequent use of the cords.

The roof or roofs 43 of the section or sections may then be screwed to the horizontal flanges of the T-iron as and these roofs may be leveled and brought into alinement, while the jack stile assembly and the back of the section can be plumbed by changing the relation between the bars l9 and 2 I, after which these bars are locked '5 in adjusted position by the cap screws 41a. A wooden frieze board 49, a lock board 50, key pan ll together with the upper and lower front rails and 92 as well as the rear panel locking strip '59, are likewise fastened into position. The 55 front panel 53 may be mounted in position as shown, after which the wooden end panels (not shown) and the rear wooden panels 18 are mounted in accordance with the usual practice.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the key shelf 5 is of such length that it will pass between the end frames 7. In order to make the key shelf smooth and to give the board a finished appearance, a wooden block or strip 98 is attached to each of the top faces of the exten- 55 sion bars it.

It has been found that by making the horizontal bar l3 and its extension l6 integral, as well as by'placing the longest cross sectional dimension of the respective bars of the end frame at right angles to the plane of this frame,

a rigid skeleton framework is provided which will hold the various parts in alinement even after long periods of use.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the sequence of assembling operations herein described, since the sequence of operations may be varied to fit different installing conditions and in accordance with the convenience of the individual installer. The invention is likewise not limited to the exact details of construction, but includes all variations and modifications of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a knock-down switchboard, a pair of end frames each formed of spaced vertical uprights, certain of said uprights being of unequal length, a two-way brace having its intermediate portion attached to one of said uprights and its free ends fastened to a second upright, a lower horizontal bar joined to the lower ends of certain of said uprights, an upper horizontal bar joined to certain of the upper ends of said uprights, said upper horizontal bar having an extension constituting a key shelf support, said bars being formed of flat stock generally rectangular in cross section, the flat surface of said bars extending in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the end frame, cross bars joining a pair of end frames, a relay gate swingingly supported adjacent the longest upright of one end frame, a key shelf mounted on said key shelf support, switchboard mechanism mounted on said key shelf and said relay gate, and a cable of conductors connecting the mechanism on said key shelf and on said relay gate.

2. In a knock-down switchboard, a pair of end frames, each formed of three spaced vertical uprights, one of said uprights being of substantially greater length than the remaining uprights, a V-shaped brace having its intermediate portion fastened to one of said uprights and its free ends fastened to a second upright, a lower horizontal bar joined to the lower ends of certain of said uprights, an upper horizontal bar joined to certain of the upper ends of said uprights, said upper horizontal bar having an extension constituting a key shelf support, said extension having openings in at least one of its vertical sides, said bars being formed of flat stock generally rectangular in cross section, the flat surface of said bars extending in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the end frame, an end frame upright mounted on each end frame, cross bars respectively joining a pair of end frame uprights and each pair of end frames, a relay gate swingingly supported adjacent the longest upright of one end frame, a key 5 shelf mounted in the openings in the sides of the key shelf support, switchboard mechanism mounted on said key shelf and said relay gate, and a cable of conductors connecting the mechanism on said key shelf and on said relay gate.

3. In a knock-down metal framework for a switchboard section including a pair of end frame uprights, each end frame upright includ-'- ing a vertical bar and a horizontal bar adjustably mounted at its top to provide a T-sh-aped construction, said horizontal bar being adjustable with respect to the vertical bar in all directions in the principal plane of the end frame upright, and cross bars attached to each pair of end frames.

4. In a knock-down metalframework for a switchboard section, a pair of end frames fabricated from metal bars, a pair of end frame uprights, each end frame upright including a vertical bar and a horizontal bar adjustably mounted at its top to provide a T-shaped construction, said horizontal bar being adjustable with respect to the vertical bar in all directions in the principal plane of the end frame upright, and cross bars fastened to each pair of end frames and each pair of end frame uprights.

5. In a framework for a telephone switchboard, a pair of end frames, each formed of uprights and horizontal members fabricated from flat bars of metal having their longest cross sectional-dimension perpendicular to the plane of the end frame, each end frame having a twoway brace connected at its intermediate point to one upright and its free ends connected to another upright, an end frame upright of T- m shape formed of a horizontal bar and a vertical bar for mounting on each end frame, said horizontal bar being adjustable with respect to the vertical bar in all directions in the principal plane of the end frame upright, and cross bars 5 joining each pair of end frames and each pair of end frame uprights.

MELVIN J. ARNDT. 

